Leak resistant electrical cell



Feb. 15, 1949. e. B. ELLIS 2,461,534

LEAK RESISTANT ELECTRICAL .CELL I I Filed lay 1a. 1945 23 2| l7 la as z/n c uwmron cazuvmu: a ELLIS ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 15, 1949 LEAK RESISTANT ELECTRICAL can.

Grenville B. Ellis, Little Silver, N. 3., asslgnor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application May 16, 1945, Serial No. 594,146

4 Claims.

(Granted underthe act of March 3, 1883, as

The invention described'herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in electrical cells.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) As dry cells age they have a tendency to leak. I

Innumerable remedies to cure this defect have been tried, but very few have been even reasonably successful. Some solutions suggested to overcome this defect have been complicated in design and construction, and expensive to manufacture and require relatively large amounts of metal and other critical materials. Some have been so bulky as to reduce the space inside them available 'for active ingredients in any given battery size.-

- It is an object of the present invention to'provide an electrical cell which is highly resistant to leakage, which is simple and inexpensive to construct and which uses a minimum of critical materials;

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a leak-resistant cell construction which allows a maximum degree of space for active ingredients.

Ingeneral, the present invention resides in wrapping a conventional dry cell in a layer of absorbent material, such as paper, and then a layer of plastic material which is kept tightly in place about the cell by a spring-like contact disk and a metal ring.

For a better understanding of the invention, togetherwith other and further objects thereof, reference is' had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the accompanying claims. v

The drawing is a longitudinal cross sectional view of an electrical cell embodying the present invention.

Said cell includes a cylindrical zinc can l|. Positioned upon the bottom l2 of the can H is a 25 the lower surface of said plate 21.

by a disk-like layer of 2 battery wax l9 which is flush with the rim 32 of the can and the upper surface of the flange 2-5. A freeair space 2| is left immediately'below the wax 9.

Immediately below the lower endof the zinc can II is a circular contact plate 21, of sprlngy electrical conducting material, 'such as spring steel, of the same diameter as the outside diameter of the can. Said plate 21 is embossed so as to have an upwardly extending bulge 29 at its center and an upwardly extending concentric ring 30.

The parts already described are wrapped in a liner 3| of absorbent material, such as several layers-of asphalt impregnated kraft paper, Said liner 3| completely covers the lateral surface of the zinc can H and extends'inwardly, at the upper end of the can, to cover the rim 32 of said can, the wax I9 and the flange and then extends upward slightly to form a neck 28 which encircles the lower portion of the cap 23. At the lower end of the can I the liner 3| encircles the lateral surface of the spring contact plate 21 and extends inwardly a short distanceto form an annular flange 38 to cover the-peripheral portion of Surrounding liner 3| is a cylindrical plastic cover 33 which is open at its lower end and may be made of any suitable plastic, such aspolysty about the neck 28 of the liner 3|. Surrounding disk l5 of suitable insulatin material, such as face of which is level with the upper rim 32 of.

the can II. The upperend of the can II is closed of the cover 33 and forms a tight Junction therewith. The lower periphery of the ferrule 31 is bent inwardly to form an inwardly extending annular flange 4| which extends below the annular flange 38 of the liner 3|, The plastic cover 33 and the clamping ferrule 31 are so tightly coupled longitudinally that the peripheral portion of the plate 21 is sprung upwardly slightly from its relaxed position.

It will be seen that the cell just described is so arranged that the peripheral portion of the spring plate 21 exerts a downward pressure on the flange 4| of the. ferrule 31 and in turn upon the plastic cover 33, thereby resulting-in a tight seal between the upper end 34 of the cover 33 and the rim 32 of the zinc can II, and also between the spring contact plate 21 and the ferrule 3'], the liner 3| acting as a sealing means between said parts, so

that any liquid, which might possibly leak from the cell, would have great diiliculty in escapin through the container just described.

Any liquid which might leak from the zinc can ,ll would be absorbed by the liner 3|. The downward pressure on the plastic cover 33 also tends to maintain a tight seal between the upper end 34 of said cover 33 and the entire upper Surface of the wax seal 19, thereby preventing leakage through the opening 36 in said cover 33. Any moisture which might possibly work through the wax seal would have to take a circuitous path and would thus be absorbed by the liner 3| before reaching the outside of the cover 33.

Any moisture which might leak through the can ll itself would be absorbed by the liner 3| and in any event would be stopped by the seal formed by the flange 38 of the liner 3! between ent, is considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electrical cell, a can shaped electrode closed at one end and open at the other, an elongated electrode of opposite polarity disposed within said can shaped electrode-and having one end extending beyond the rim of the open end of said can shaped electrode, a closure of sealing material across the open end of said can shaped electrode and level with the rim thereof and encircling the elongated electrode, a contact plate of electrically conducting springy material of substantially the same size and shape as the bottom of the can shaped electrode and provided with at least one upwardly extending contact bulge in electrical contact with the closed bottom of said can shaped electrode, a liner of absorbent material covering the lateral surface of the can shaped electrode and extending over the rim of said electrode and over the closure aforesaid and forming a neck about a portion of the elongated electrode which extends beyond the closure and also extending inwardly below the peripheral edge of the contact plate, a cover of nonconducting material extending about those portions of the liner aforesaid which cover the lateral surface and rim of the can shaped electrode and the closure and making a snug fit about the neck aforesaid, and a gripping ferrule secured to the lower end of the cover and extending below that portion of the liner which extends below the peripheral portion of the contact plate and springing the said peripheral portion of the contact plate upwardly so as to cause the cover and ferrule and liner to form a leak resistant container about the electrodes aforesaid and theclosure. 2. In a cell as defined in claim 1, wherein a metal cap covers the exposed end of the elongated electrode and said cap is provided with an outwardly extending annular flange embedded in theclosure.

3. In an electrical cell, a can-like electrode opened at its upper'end and closed at its lower end, a rod-like electrode of opposite polarity within said can-like electrode and extending upwardly beyond the open end thereof, an annulus of sealing material disposed across the open end of said can-like electrode and encircling said rodlike electrode, a contact plate of electrically conducting springy material of substantially the same shape and size as the lower end of the canlike electrode and disposed below said electrode and having an upwardly extending contact bulge in electrical contact with the lower surface of said can-like electrode, a liner of absorbent material surrounding said electrodes, sealing material and contact plate except for the upper end of the rod-like electrode and the central portion of the lower surface of the contact plate, a plastic cover surrounding said liner except for the portion thereof extending below the contact plate, and a clamping ferrule about the lower portion of said cover and having means to grip said cover .and having an inwardly extending flange disposed below that portion of the liner which extends below the contact plate and causing the peripheral portion of the contact plate to be held upwardly in a slightly sprung position.

4. In an electrical cell, a can-like electrode opened at its upper end and closed at its lower end, a rod-like electrode of opposite polarity within said can-like electrode and extending upwardly beyond the open end thereof, an annulus of sealing material disposed across the open end of said can-like electrode and encircling said rodlike electrode, a cap on the upper end of said rod-like electrode, an annular flange extending outwardly from said cap and embedded in said sealing material, a contact plate of electrically conducting springy material of substantially the same shape and size as the lower end of the canlike electrode and disposed below said electrode and having an upwardly extending contact bulge in electrical contact with the lower surface of said can-like electrode, a liner of absorbent material surrounding said electrodes, sealing material, cap and contact plate except for the upper end of the cap and the central portion of the lower. surface of the contact plate, a plastic cover surrounding said liner except for the portion thereof extending below the contact plate, and

a clamping ferrule about the lower' portion of said cover and having means to grip said cover and having an inwardly extending flange disposed below that portion of the liner which extends below the contact plate and causing the 5 peripheral portion of the contact plate to be held upwardly in a slightly sprung position.

GRENVILLE B. ELLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Keller Sept. 16, 1 947 

